Bushes will Rustle, Water will Flee
by Moonflight of RiverClan
Summary: On one fateful night on the border between SkyClan and RockClan, an ancient rivalry was created. Bushkit of RockClan, and Watertail from SkyClan, take part in the prophecy that could change the lives of the two clans forever.
1. Allegiances and Prologue

**This is my first story on fanfiction. It's not very advanced, but I'm new to writing my own stories. I hope you like my stories!**

**The clans are SkyClan, which is the original SkyClan from the books, and RockClan is a clan made up of kittypets and rogues and joined SkyClan, but then made their own clan.**

* * *

**SkyClan**

Leader: Witheredstar – dull brown tom with amber eyes

Deputy: Owlflower – dark brown tabby she-cat with white paws and green eyes

Medicine Cat: Snakefur – elderly spotted golden brown tabby tom

Warriors:

Cloudypelt – mottled silver tom with white muzzle and underbelly

Hollowbark – pale brown tom  
_Apprentice: Sunnypaw_

Dawnclaw – cream and brown she-cat with pale blue eyes

Morningfern – pale ginger tabby she-cat  
_Apprentice: Ratpaw_

Kestrelwing – ginger brown tom with white underbelly

Sparrowfeather - pale brown tom with ginger markings and tufted ears  
_Apprentice: Loudpaw_

Moonwing – pale silver she-cat with watery blue eyes and very thick, sleek fur

Watertail – silvery blue she-cat with one amber eye and one blue eye

Apprentices:

Sunnypaw – pale golden/yellow tom

Ratpaw – dark brown tom with gray paws

Loudpaw – at first she's pale silver with blue eyes at first, but then she becomes black with silvery stripes

Queens:

Fallowfrost – silver and white she-cat; mother of Boulderstrike's kits: Bloomkit – pinkish ginger tabby and white she-cat and Raspberrykit – dark pinkish ginger tabby she-cat with white paws

Fawnleap – silver she-cat with light brown patches; carrying Hollowbark's kits

Elders:

Roaringmoon – gray and white tom

**RockClan**

Leader: Featherstar – tortoiseshell she-cat

Deputy: Fallear – gray tabby tom with torn ear from falling down into the ravine

Medicine Cat: Flametoe – ginger tom with dark ginger toes  
_Apprentice: Brownpaw_

Warriors:

Tigerstripe – brown tabby tom with black stripes

Windflight – blue-gray tabby tom with grayish-blue eyes

Stormfall – gray tom with dark mottled markings  
_Apprentice: Dashpaw_

Rainwing – silver she-cat with green eyes  
_Apprentice: Whitepaw_

Iceflight – silver and white tabby she-cat  
_Apprentice: Bushpaw_

Silverfang – silver tom with white muzzle, chest, and underbelly

Birdcall – golden tabby she-cat

Ash-heart – dark gray tom with blue eyes

Boulderstrike - dark gray tom

Littlewind – small spotted gray tabby and white tom  
_Apprentice: Dustpaw_

Apprntices:

Brownpaw - brown tom with yellow eyes

Whitepaw – pure white she-cat with amber eyes

Bushpaw – light dusty brown tom with green eyes

Dustpaw – dusty tan tom with amber eyes

Queens:

Bushytail – ginger she-cat with bushy tail; mother of Windflight's kits: Flyingkit – cloudy white she-cat with light gray flecks, Softkit – small light gray she-cat with soft fur, and Tinykit – unusually small light gray she-cat

Blackflower – black she-cat with gray muzzle, chest, and underbelly; mother of Stormfall's kits: Riverkit – dark gray tom and Shadowkit – shadowy black she-cat

Elders:

Feathertwist – gray she-cat with white patches and twisted forepaw by Watertail; used to be Featherpelt

Swallowfrost – white she-cat with black ears

**Cats Outside of the Clans**

Spiderfur – pitch black tom with dark blue eyes

Bite – brown tom with one scratched eye and green eye

Dashpaw – dusty brownish tom with white tail-tip and paws; thought to be kidnapped by rogue

* * *

**Prologue**

_They dragged Bushkit out of the river. He coughed and spluttered as Leopardfrolic applied pressure to his tiny chest. Bushkit vomited muddy river water and continued coughing._

"_Will he live?" Featherpelt said anxiously as if it were her own life._

_Leopardfrolic irritably meowed, "He will be fine."_

_Featherpelt sniffed. "There's something strange about this territory. I think we went the wrong way," she mewed._

_Watertail bounded down to the shore and hissed, "What are you doing on SkyClan territory?"_

"_We-we... We were trying to save Bushkit, and we accidentally swam the wrong way!" Featherpelt mewed fearfully._

"_Excuses, excuses! You're just trying to steal prey, again," Watertail snarled._

_Leopardfrolic said, "Medicine cats can go wherever they want! And we haven't been stealing prey. Who'd wanna eat smelly birds?"_

_Watertail sprang at Leopardfrolic, and tried to attack him. Featherpelt flew at her, but Watertail bit her forepaw, and threw her back. Leopardfrolic rolled on top of Watertail, and they started to fall into the river._

_Featherpelt had injured her paw more than she had anticipated, so she had to limp over to save Leopardfrolic, but she was too late. They rolled and tussled in the river. Soon, it got too deep for them to swim. Bubbles ceased to float up from the dark shape of Leopardfrolic, showing that he know longer breathed. He floated over to the bank with the help of the current, with Watertail paddling after him._

"_You-you killed him! You murderer!" Featherpelt cried. "You evil-"_

_Featherpelt stopped speaking; Leopardfrolic had lifted his head and opened his eyes. His jaws parted and a voice that was not his emanated from his throat._

"_The bushes will rustle, and water will flee, and the sky will fall to the rocks..." the voice rasped. He closed his mouth and his eyes glazed over once more. The medicine cat was gone._

_Witheredstar and a patrol of SkyClan cats bounded down to the river side. "Watertail, what happened?" he growled._

_Watertail mewed innocently, "I was on a night patrol, and they were trying to steal prey and attack our camp!"_

"_They don't look much like an attack patrol, and I don't suspect that these three would be any threat to our prey," Witheredstar said angrily._

"_But only two cats, if you're talking about live cats! Watertail murdered the RockClan medicine cat!" she hissed loudly._

_Witheredstar spat back at her, "One of my warriors would never do such a thing! Would they?" He glared at Watertail._

"_He killed himself, and almost me, too! He just drowned," she snarled bitterly._

"_Watertail, do not speak to your leader that way!" the SkyClan deputy scolded._

"_Watertail, you will be punished. I'm very sorry that Leopardfrolick died, and I'm sure Flamepaw and the rest of your clan will be too, Featherpelt," Witheredstar said, not looking sorry at all. "Now get back to your side of the border!" he spat at the queen._

"_Well, how am I supposed to do that with this paw?" she asked angrily._

"_Well, I guess we could let Snakefur have a look at you." Witheredstar agreed._

_Watertail and Featherpelt walked to the SkyClan camp, wondering what to think of the strange prophecy from Leopardfrolic._


	2. Chapter One: Warriors and Fallears Death

**Chapter One**

Warriors and Fallear's Death

* * *

**Bushpaw POV**

"Bet you can't catch me Bushpaw!"

"I bet I can!" Bushpaw meowed.

"Be careful, kits!" Feathertwist called from the elder's den.

Feathertwist worried about Bushpaw all day long. She had twisted her leg and had to become an elder. Bushpaw thought that that would stop her. But she was still his mother. Mother's main instinct: worry about kits.

He didn't know why why she worried so much about him. Maybe it was because he had almost drowned when he was a kit. He didn't remember much about this; all he remember was a weird murmuring cat and some creepy words. But that all that was that was in his memory, because, exhausted and half-drowned as he was at the time, he had fallen asleep for the rest of the incident.

"Bushpaw?" Dustpaw asked. "Are you going to catch me?"

Lost in thought, Bushpaw had just stood there, doing nothing. His mother called it flying off to another world. He did that often, standing around and thinking. Bushpaw bounded after his friend.

Featherstar appeared from behind the apprentice's den, a frown spread across her face.

"You're too young to be playing chase!" she scolded. Bushpaw and Dustpaw froze obediently, but confusion was written across their faces. Featherstar's frown turned into a smile. "You've been training for six moons. Do you know what that means?" she asked, her eyes twinkling.

"We-we can become warriors?!" Dustpaw yowled with delight. Bushpaw's heart was pumping so hard that he was sure that kittypets all the way in the Twolegplace could hear it.

Featherstar jumped onto the Tallstone and yowled, "RockClan, gather beneath Tallstone to congratulate two apprentices who have completed their training, and are ready to become warriors!" All the cats of RockClan gathered beneath Tallstone.

"I can't believe this is happening!" Bushpaw said under his breath.

"I know," Dustpaw whispered back.

"Bushpaw, step forward. You have trained under Iceflight, and you have trained well. Do you promise to uphold the warrior code, and protect your clan under all circumstances?" Featherstar asked.

"I do!" Bushpaw meowed.

"By the power invested in me, I give you your warrior name. From now on, you shall be known as Bushnose. We welcome you as a full warrior of RockClan," the clan leader finished.

"Dustpaw, step forward. You have trained under Littlewind, and you have trained hard. Do you promise to uphold the warrior code, and protect you clan under all circumstances?"

"I do!" Dustpaw yowled determinedly.

"By the power invested in me, I give you your warrior name. From now on you shall be known as Dustclaw. We welcome you as a full warrior of RockClan!" Featherstar yowled.

"Bushnose! Dustclaw! Bushnose! Dustclaw!" the clan chanted.

"We're warriors! We're warriors! We made it through all that training without dying," Dustclaw said with a laugh.

"I know! Finally," Bushnose agreed.

Featherstar leapt down from Tallstone, and shook her head at the two toms. "No talking; it's time for you silent vigil," she reminded them. Dustclaw scowled.

"Aw, mouse dung!" he cursed.

"Shh!" Featherstar hushed them through a purr. The two newly made warrior padded on to the camp entrance soundlessly.

* * *

_Three moons later..._

"Time for dawn patrol!" Whitedew purred.

"Again? It's like our tenth time this moon on dawn patrol! We should get a break!" Bushnose complained.

"Just kidding! Fallear already went out with the dawn patrol," Whitedew meowed. "Oh look, they're back already!" she added.

"Bad news," Boulderstrike panted. "Fallear followed a rabbit down its whole, and we don't think he'll make it."

"Get Flametoe!" Featherstar demanded.

"He's already with him," Windflight told them. "Flametoe doesn't think he'll be able to save him."

Bushnose ran to the medicine cat den. Feathertwist was already there. "Is... he... okay...?" Bushnose said between pants.

"Well, I don't know," Flametoe said. "He's got a few broken limbs, and I don't know what happened to his back, but he can't get up." Flametoe sighed. "If we don't want to make him suffer..."

Bushnose followed the medicine cat's gaze to a pile of bright red berries.

"No! You can save him!" Feathertwist hissed.

"What's wrong with a few berries?" Bushnose asked.

"Those aren't just any berries, young warrior. Those are deathberries. One berry can kill even a warrior," Flametoe said.

"Then why would you think of giving them to my father?!" he exclaimed.

"I might not be able to save him. I'm-"

"Could you at least try?" Feathertwist snapped. "You will save him." she meowed firmly and limped away.

* * *

"She has to choose a new deputy soon," muttered Dustclaw. "Do you think it'll be Windflight?"

They had just finished vigil for Fallear. The clan was still grieving.

"I'm going to check on Feathertwist," Bushnose mewed.

Feathertwist had gone into shock because she had watched Flametoe feed deathberries to her mate.

He walked into the medicine cat den. "Have you gotten her to eat anything?" he mewed worriedly.

"Nope. She hasn't eaten or spoken since she saw me with Fallear. She won't even look up," Flametoe said sadly

"Gather beneath Tallstone to hear my words, RockClan! The new deputy will be Bushnose."


	3. Chapter Two: The Prophecy is Revealed

**Chapter 2**

The Prophecy is Revealed

* * *

**Bushnose POV**

"But he just became a warrior!" Boulderstrike yowled.

"He hasn't even had an apprentice!" Stormfall growled.

"Well, as for an apprentice, I can take care of that. Bushytail, your kits are six moons old now and ready to become apprentices. Flyingkit, step forward. Bushnose, step forth. You trained with Iceflight, and I hope you can pass on the skills you learned from her to this new apprentice. Flyingkit, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and protect your Clan with your life?" Featherstar asked solemnly.

"I do!" the kit squeaked.

"Then for now on, you will be known as Flyingpaw."

Bushnose touched his nose with the apprentice's. His heart was pumping so hard, he thought it would wake up the fish in the stream. _I'm deputy? _He thought, hardly believing himself.

"I bet you're the best warrior ever! That's why Featherstar made you the deputy!" Flyingpaw mewed gleefully. She jumped over to her mother and yowled, "I'm the deputy's apprentice!" Bushytail purred happily.

_I'm a mentor, too!_ Bushnose told himself silently.

"Hush, the ceremony is not over, your littermates don't have their apprentice names yet," Windflight shushed.

Featherstar beckoned Dustclaw and Softkit forward. "Dustclaw, you trained with Littlewind, and I hope you can pass on the skills you learned from him to this new apprentice. Softkit, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, and protect your clan with your life?"

"I do!" the kit mewed.

"Then from now on, you will be known as Softpaw," Featherstar said. The two cats touched noses and stood to let the next mentor and apprentice take the stand. "Birdcall, Tinykit, step forth. Birdcall, you trained with Windflight, and I hope you can pass on the skills you learned from him to this new apprentice. Tinykit, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, and protect your clan with your life?" Featherstar asked.

"I do!" Tinykit shouted.

"Then from now on, you shall be known as Tinypaw!" Featherstar yowled, concluding the ceremony.

"Flyingpaw! Softpaw!Tinypaw! Flyingpaw! Softpaw! Tinypaw!" the clan chorused. Bushnose lifted his muzzle and yowled with his clan.

* * *

"Boulderstrike, Stormfall, Iceflight, choose a warrior of your choice to come on the dawn patrol with you," Bushnose said. "I'm going to take out an early hunting patrol. Flyingpaw, we're going hunting!Dustclaw, get your apprentice; you can come too."

As they bounded into the forest, Dustclaw whispered, "Do you think you got the hang of this deputy stuff?"  
"Yeah, but its really hard, waking up at sunrise every day, but it's okay. How do you like being a mentor?" Bushnose asked.

"It's great, but I wish I knew how to do that one move better. Softpaw laughs at me every time I try to show her a move," Dustclaw said with a laugh.

Bushnose heard a yowl that he recognized as Featherstar's. He ran back to camp.

"Deathberries," she rasped. "Someone put deathberries in my prey.

"Flametoe!" Bushnose called. "Featherstar needs help! Deathberries!" Flametoe ran over with a strange looking herb. "What's that?" Bushnose asked.

"It's yarrow. It'll make her vomit up the poison," Flametoe replied. He tried to make her eat the yarrow, but it wasn't working. She would not swallow it. Her eyes glazed over, then came back.

"She just needs rest. I think I'll go get some poppy-seed," Bushnose followed Flametoe into the medicine cat den.

"How many lives does Featherstar have left?" he asked.

"I-I think she has five, Bushnose," Flametoe answered.

A rasping cough came from the back of the den. "I think I'm on my last life," Feathertwist joked.

"No you're not! You just have a little cold, probably whitecough," Flametoe told her. "Brownpaw, could you get Feathertwist a bit of catmint?"

Brownpaw returned to his mentor with empty paws, shaking his head. "We're all out of catmint," she said.

"Bushnose, could you take your apprentice or another warrior out for catmint for Feathertwist?" Flametoe asked.

"Sure!" Bushnose replied. He padded out of the medicine cat den, and called for Whitedew. "Whitedew! Could you come and fetch some catmint with me?"

"'Course, Bushnose," Whitedew said, purring.

* * *

The pair were walking near the SkyClan border, and Watertail padded up to Bushnose and Whitedew. "What are you doing in SkyClan territory, you RockClan pieces of fox dung?" she spat.

"This isn't SkyClan territory, and for your information, you're the piece of fox dung!" Whitedew hissed.

"Well, you _were_. I've scented RockClan stench on my territory. Do you think you want to lie to me about crossing the border?"

"No! We were never over there. Why would we want to smell like SkyClan dung?" Bushnose spat.

"Look at this!" Watertail snarled, revealed the bush she was standing in front of. A tuft of brown fur and the stale scent of Dustclaw were stuck to the bush.

"Why would Dustclaw want to be on SkyClan territory?" Bushnose asked.

"So it's Dustclaw, is it. He'll be getting a good clawing his next visit." Watertail mused happily.

"No he won't! He must've just sleepwalked, or maybe you don't mark your borders enough, so he did it on accident! You must've attacked during the night and stole his fur. That's how much fox dung you're full of!" Bushnose hissed back.

"Say that again, mouse-heart!" Watertail challenged.

"You're full, of fox dung," Bushnose said, enunciating smoothly. With that, Watertail leaped on top of him, and hissing and clawing and tearing with her claws anything she could reach. Whitedew hissed in fury and bit Watertail's tail and pulled her back. She wheeled around and jumped on top of her other attacker. She was twice the size of Whitedew, and ten times more experienced in fighting.

Bushnose repeated the same thing Whitedew had done, and before Watertail could turn around, Whitedew was on top of her again. Watertail tried to flip and and crush her, but she made the mistake of exposing her soft underbelly, which Bushnose clawed a few times before she could get away. They continued the pull-on-her-tail move a few more times before she tried it on them. She pulled Bushnose's tail, he flipped, and she had got a tight grip on his throat. It was getting harder and harder to breath.

Suddenly Whitedew slashed at Watertail's spine as hard as she could. Watertail whipped around, but Whitedew wasn't there. She was at Bushnose's side, and they were doing something very unusual. They stood up on their hind legs, stretched their forepaws out as far as they could, stretching out their claws, and trying to slowly inch forward. They fell a few times, because standing on their hind legs was not something they had practiced.

They were exposing their stomachs and had gotten scratched quite a few times, so they would have to try and do this some other way. They came down on their forepaws, and starting walking towards. Every time she tried to claw them, they slashed out a paw and defended themselves. They were slowly putting her back inside the border. Soon she was back on her side of the border.

"You can't cross the border either! Especially when we haven't!" Bushnose yowled.

"I'll get you mouse-hearts some day!" Watertail growled.

"Bushnose! Look at your neck! It's bleeding like crazy! And look at your legs! And-and all of you! We have to get you back." Whitedew said worriedly. Bushnose shook his head.

"We have to get the catmint for Feathertwist!" he objected. He took a step in the direction of the catmint, but instantly fell to his knees.

"We have to get you back _now_. You might be dead before we get there. I don't want to lose you." Whitedew sobbed. She stared into Bushnose's eyes. "I love you."

Bushnose was shocked by the last three words that tumbled out of her mouth. "I-I love you too, Whitedew," he purred. "We need to get back to camp. You've got some pretty bad wounds too." he told her.

They both slowly limped back to camp.

* * *

"Is Feathertwist gonna be alright?" Bushnose asked worriedly.

"Without the catmint, I don't know. I think it's turned into greencough," Flametoe answered regretfully.

"Fla-Flametoe?" Feathertwist rasped. "I need to tell you something."

"What is it?" Flametoe prompted, leaning close to his patient.

"Before Leopardfrolic died, he said something. Watertail and I were the only two to hear it. I was too scared to tell anyone before, but I'm going to die, and you need to know. Bushnose, you need to hear this too." Feathertwist said.

But Bushnose was already listening curiously, wondering what in StarClan his mother was talking about. "Alright." he answered, waiting for her to speak.

"It was... _the bushes will rustle, and water will flee, and the sky will fall to the rocks_," she said, recalling the medicine cats strange words. "Good-bye, Bushnose. I have struggled to stay alive too long. It is time for me to go to StarClan and be with your father."

"Please don't go. I don't want lose you and Fallear. Please don't die." he pleaded. But her eyes were starting to glaze over. Bushnose bowed his head, having to accept that her time had come.


	4. Chapter Three: Kits and More Kits

**Chapter 3**

Kits and More Kits

* * *

**Watertail POV**

She was still recovering from the wounds that Bushnose and that other RockClan warrior had given her. _He was a lot harder to beat than I thought he would be. I'll need to get him out the way. He won't be any help! _she thought.

Everyone was asleep, except for the camp guard, who Watertail could easily get past. She quietly padded out of camp, to her special little place, in the center of SkyClan territory.

"Dustclaw?" she whispered. "Are you there?" She saw a pair of bright amber eyes gleaming in the bushes. "The coast is clear, Dustclaw. You can come out now."

Dustclaw appeared. " The fur plan worked well," Watertail informed him. "They totally bought it. I got RockClan in trouble, and at the next Gathering, we'll announce that RockClan has been in our territory."

"Watertail," Dustclaw started, obviously distracted. "I want to talk to you about something. I think that we should be something... more that allies. Maybe friends. But I was thinking- I was feeling about you... that we could be more than friends."

Watertail cocked her head, confused. "What are you talking about?" she asked nervously.

"Watertail, I love you, and I want us to be mates." he said.

"You're right, Dustclaw," Watertail said, feeling warm and fuzzy. "Our plot to be leader doesn't just have to be about scheming and fighting and, well, we could do it together. Make our own little clan, once we become the leaders."

They lay down, tails entwined, and talked about how nice it would be when all the trouble was over and they could just be mates.

"I love you, Dustclaw," Watertail whispered, pressing her muzzle into Dustclaw's warm fur.

"I love you, too," Dustclaw said, purring loudly. The two quickly fell asleep.

* * *

**Bushnose POV**

"Whitedew, do you want some water?" Bushnose asked.

"No, I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," Whitedew said with a laugh. "These kits are coming just yet."

"But the kits are due today!" Bushnose said.

"But not just yet," Whitedew assured him, gazing fondly at her swollen belly.

"Oh, alright," Bushnose said, giving in. "Flametoe, Brownleaf, when are the kits supposed to be coming?" he asked again.

"Maybe-"

"Now!" Whitedew screeched.

"What?! NOW?!" Bushnose yowled. "Get-get the stuff... the herbs- get the herbs... get the stuff that you need when a cat is giving birth!" he stuttered at Flametoe, who was already bounding into the medicine cat den. Another queen shuffled Bushnose out of the nursery.

"Birth is a place for she-cats and medicine cats only," she said. Bushnose hissed irritably, but obeyed.

He heard screeches of pain, and wanted to go in. He squeezed in saw something that he didn't think was supposed to be happening. Blood was smeared on the floor of the nursery, and she was screaming so loud that Bushnose thought his ears would split.

"What's going wrong?" he said above his mate's cries of agony. Brownleaf looked at him and shook his head, as if to say _I just don't know_.

"It's going all wrong!" Flametoe yowled over the noise.

After a long while of listening to Whitedew's screeches, it suddenly stopped. Whitedew looked very tired and weak. Four small bundles of fur lay at her belly, two suckled, but the other two didn't move.

"Are-are they dead?" Whitedew whimpered. She had gone hoarse because of all of her screaming.

"Whitedew, are you alright?" Bushnose asked, nuzzling her. "I thought you were going to die!" he said, barely holding back tears.

"I think these two are stillborn," Flametoe said sadly.

"No! Look at that one! It's trying to move," Brownleaf pointed out.

"It's alive!" Whitedew said. "But what about that other one?"

"Nope," Flametoe said, confirming the parent's fears.

Bushnose bowed his head, feeling defeated. "Shall we give him a name before we send him off to StarClan?" he asked.

"Yes," Whitedew said. "How about Nutkit?" she suggested.

"Perfect!" Bushnose agreed. "Look at that big one! It looks just like Fallear. What was Fallear's name before he fell and hurt his ear? Flamtoe? Do you know?" Bushnose asked the medicine cat.

"Well, I think his name was Stormpaw," Flametoe said.

"Hey, how about we name this one Stormkit!" Whitedew said.

"It fits perfectly," Bushnose said. "Let's hope he doesn't lose his ear too!" he joked.

"What about these other two?" White dew asked.

"This one looks like you; it's white. Should we name it Snowkit?" Bushnose asked.

Whitedew nodded, "What about for the tortoiseshell and white one? Maplekit?"

"Sure! I like that!" Bushnose said.

"Three beautiful kits," Whitedew mewed, gazing at the three lovingly. "They're perfect."

"Stormkit, Snowkit, and Maplekit!" Flametoe said, looking from one kit, to the others. "Beautiful names. But you might want to be careful with Snowkit. She seemed weaker than the others."

"I'll never let anything ever harm them." he promised himself.

* * *

**Watertail POV**

"Watertail's missing!" she heard faintly, probably from camp.

"Dustclaw! You have to go! But I have a plan to cover this up," Watertail whispered.

She was about to bound away when,"Watertail! Wait!" Dustclaw called through the bushes.

"What is it? Hurry, though, I have to get back, soon!" she meowed.

"See you tomorrow?" he said hopefully as he ran to catch up with her.

"Maybe," she answered thoughtfully. "But could with do this in your territory?"

"Sure! Bye!" he said. He licked her ears affectionately, and ran in the direction of the river.

Watertail ran back to camp, but on the way, she covered herself in some red berry juice.

_It looks just like blood, _she thought to herself, proud of herself for thinking up such a clever idea. She ran to camp and started fake panting.

"I was going out on a midnight walk, because I couldn't sleep, and these rogues attacked me! They said they were allegiances of RockClan," she explained.

"First RockClan was stealing our prey, and now they're trying to steal our warriors? They're evil!" said a young warrior.

"They can't be all that bad. Maybe the rogues weren't allegiances of RockClan," piped a small apprentice.

"Loudpaw, how could they not be?" the apprentice's mother asked her.

"We should attack them!" another apprentice growled.

"No, we shall not attack them," Whitheredstar corrected. "Loudpaw is probably right. Maybe they hate RockClan so much that they're trying to trick us."

"Yeah, right."

"Yeah, he just just wants to keep peace," Watertail heard two young warriors whisper. "He's always loved RockClan so much."

Watertail agreed with the young warrior. Whitheredstar would have to go.

* * *

"I need more warriors for my hunting patrol!" Owlflower yowled.

"I'll go!" Watertail volunteered.

"Sorry, Watertail, but no. I may not be a medicine cat, but I can tell when a she-cat is having kits."

"I have noticed too, because I _am _a medicine cat," Snakefure joked.

"What?!" Watertail exclaimed. "I'm not! Am I?"

"You are," Snakefur confirmed.

It was dusk, and it was dusk, and it was the perfect time to try and sneak out to Dustclaw.

"I'm gonna go on a walk," she said.

"No, it's too dangerous in the forest. There's rogues maybe near," Owlflower warned.

"Oh no, I'm just going a little past camp," she told the deputy and medicine cat.

"Alright. Tell the guards that," Snakefur instructed.

* * *

"Dustclaw, I'm here!" Watertail whispered.

"Oh good, I thought you wouldn't come! Why are you here so late?" Dustclaw asked as he padded out from under his hiding place.

"Well, the medicine cat stopped me," Watertail said.

"Why? Did you get hurt?" Dustclaw asked.

"No, it's just... I-I... I'm having kits!" Water said.

"What? That's wonderful!" Dustclaw exclaimed.

"Well, it's just, I can't sneak out to meet you anymore. And I also have another problem," Watertail said frustratedly.

"What is it?" Dustclaw purred, running tail along Watertail's belly.

"I need you to kill Whitheredstar."


	5. Chapter Four: Featherstar's Life Lost

**Chapter 4**

Featherstar's Life Lost

* * *

**Bushnose POV **

"Flyingpaw! The rules for battle training are _keep your claws sheathed_!" Bushnose hissed at his apprentice. Flyingpaw's eyes started to tear. "I'm sorry! I-I didn't mean to!" Flyingpaw mewed tearfully.

"No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you. Well, I think that this should be the end of battle training," Bushnose announced.

"Awesome! I got my first battle scar!" Bushnose heard Tinypaw mew with delight.

"Are you okay? Is something bothering you?" Birdcall asked him kindly.

"Well, it's just, I feel, I feel that... why does there always have to be so much death? First Fallear, then Feathertwist, and I didn't even get to meet Nutkit! Why does everything always happen to me?" he yelled, starting to tear up the grass.

"Well, it's not all that bad. You have three beautiful kits, and your lucky Whitedew is still alive," she told him.

"You're right. I should just put the past behind me," Bushnose said. "Oh! I forgot! We should probably start preparing for their final assessments," he remembered.

* * *

"Whitedew! I brought you a vole!" Bushnose said through a mouth-full of vole fur.

"Thank you! The kits were hoping you'd come by," Whitedew purred.

'Look, Daddy! Boulderstrike showed me a battle move!" Stormkit squeaked. He did a perfect front paw swipe.

"I think we've found ourselves a mini warrior here!" Bushnose said.

"Well, I learned something even cooler!" Maplekit mewed. "Brownleaf showed me this herb. He said it was a poppy seed, and it makes you go to sleep!" she said, showing him a tiny black seed.

"In this case, we're going to need a few of those, because it's almost bed time." Whitedew purred.

"Aw! But we're not tired!" Stormkit objected.

"You need to get lots of rest so that you can get big and strong, like Bushnose," Whitedew said.

"Snowkit, did you learn anything today?" Bushnose asked.

"I learned that when you sneeze, your mama won't let go outside, like your littermates," the kit squeaked weakly.

"Well, maybe that's okay! Because tomorrow, I might show around the entire camp," Bushnose purred.

"Yeah!" Snowkit said, and started to cough.

"Okay, now time for bed. And tomorrow, Bushnose is going to show you around the camp," Whitedew promised.

"But we're still not tired!" Maplekit said.

"Well, kits that don't get to bed of time sometimes get their apprentice ceremonies delayed," Bushnose teased.

"Oh, well, I was just kidding," she said, and started to fake snore.

"G'night, kits!"

"Night daddy!" the kits replied. And he bounded off to the warriors den. He saw Dustclaw sneaking out of camp.

"Dustclaw, what're you doin'?" he asked.

"Oh, uh... uh, I was just going on a walk before I went to sleep," he said quickly

"I'll come with you!" Bushnose said.

"Oh, uh, well uh, okay," Dustclaw stumbled. "Um, let's hunt, Bushnose!" he suggested.

"Okay," Bushnose agreed. And they walked into the woods.

"Dustclaw, do you smell that? I think we've found a mouse's nest!" Bushnose said excitedly.

"Oh, yeah, uh, you can get the mouse, I... uh, I think I saw a squirrel!" he said, and he ran away.

Bushnose caught a few mice before realizing that Dustclaw was nowhere to be seen. He found a scent trail leading in the direction of the river. He decided that he'd follow it. He followed it all the way until it stopped at the river.

_Why would Dustclaw want cross the river? That's SkyClan territory! _Bushnose thought. And he walked back to camp to go get a search party. He was on his way back to camp when he scented a stale scent of SkyClan. _Watertail! _he thought instantly.

"Hmm, maybe he was following her," he wondered aloud, though there was no one around to hear him. He thought it might look for Dustclaw himself.

"Last time I fought Watertail, I almost lost my head! Maybe this time I'll lose my tail. But warriors risk their lives, and their tails, for their clan," he said to himself. And he went back to the place where he had found Watertail's scent to find his way back to the river.

He lifted his head, and realized that there was something different about Watertail's scent than usual. She smelled like milk, and Dustclaw.  
_What does that mean? Watertail's expecting kits, and Dustclaw attacked her? _he thought. And he ran to the river. _There's got to be some way to get across, without getting wet!_

And he found a giant rock that he could jump onto, so he crouched down, preparing to jump. He jumped onto and found that it was green. Green and very, very slippery. He fell off the rock, and starting rolling down the river under water.

He thought, _How am I supposed to swim? _as he struggled to keep his head above water. He thought about just trying to blindy paddling around nowhere until he got to shore. He pushed himself up, so that he could see, and he could see that he almost right beside the shore, so he paddled himself there, one foot after the other. And soon, he was on the shore.

While he was recovering from the swim, he saw something big and bulky floaty around, and it was almost cat-shaped. Soon, he recognized it as Whitheredstar, from the few times he had seen him, and he looked he looked as if he had been killed, and then thrown into the river. Bushnose might have tried to grab him out, but he was not up for another swim. He bounded back to camp to tell the clan what he had seen.

* * *

"First, I was out hunting, and then, Dustclaw disappeared, and while I was out looking for him, I scented Watertail. She smelled like milk, and she smelled like Dustclaw. After that, I saw Whitheredstar's dead body floating in the river," Bushnose explained to Whitedew.

"What if there's rogues in the forest?" Whitedew said fearfully, wrapping her tail around her kits.

Dustclaw ran into camp and yowled, "Fox! A fox has got Featherstar!"

Bushnose stood, ran to his side, and said, "I need warriors for a rescue patrol! A fox has gotten Featherstar!"

All the warriors pricked their ears and jumped up. "I need Silverfang, Windflight, Birdcall, and Tigerstripe!"

They all bounded off to the forest, following Featherstar's scent. There they saw her, fighting a fox by herself. She clawed its nose and it grabbed her and bit her leg. She yowled in pain, and backed up. Some of the warriors tried to get closer, but were pushed back by the unusually large fox's paws. Bushnose hopped on the fox's back and raked his claws down its spine, but before he knew, the fox rolled over and he was crushed.

"Featherstar!" Silverfang called to her while clawing the fox's side. The fox rolled off of Bushnose, but something wrong his one of his hind paws. He couldn't move it, and it was very painful to try.

Featherstar was crawling away from the fox, but it was running after her. She was it's only target before Tigerstripe bit its tail, and it flipped around. Bushnose was trying to limp up to the fox to claw it a few times, and it started to run away. It was backing, growling.

Bushnose turned and saw two more patrols coming at the fox. Almost the entire clan jumped on the fox and the same time and trying to tear it apart. The fox was howling in pain, and it ran away, as fast as it could.

Brownleaf rushed to Featherstar with a mouthful of herbs and cobwebs. Flametoe was at his heels. Bushnose limped over to them, and asked, "Is she okay? Is she going to lose a life?"

"Maybe. These wounds are pretty bad, and I don't know how long she was fighting the fox," Flametoe said. She was breathing shallowly, and soon her eyes glazed over. She was losing a life. Soon, her eyes came back, but she was unconcious. "I think she'll have to stay in the medicine den."

"Bushnose, why are you walking like that?" Brownleaf asked.

"Well, I don't know; I can't move my paw."

"When did it happen?"

"Well, the fox rolled over onto me, and I think I might've broken it," Bushnose said.

"I think so, too," Flametoe said.

"C'mon, guys, let's get back to camp," Brownleaf called.


End file.
